A Slight Ramble on "Make New Friends But Keep Discord"

Hi. So I decided to type up a brief little thing here since this episode focused on my favorite thing in MLP. If you haven't noticed I love Discord and Fluttershy and adore them together. Before you ask, yes I do ship it, and its pretty much the only pairing (other than CheesePie) I do ship. I'm not the kind that watches and pairs up every character in my head for every show. I generally only ship things that have been shipteased in the shows I watch themselves because I'm not looking to inject superfluous romance into everything. Fluttercord is most definitely shipteased in this episode since Discord spends the entire thing acting like a jealous and possessive boyfriend toward Fluttershy.

This also, since nothing overtly is stated for the benefit of kids who might be more experienced in being jealous over a friend getting a new friend, works in a platonic since. This is how shipteasing works and since I just adore them together on any level I'm a happy camper. I was so happy to see that the way I see them paling around and getting along is just the way the writers do.

We finally see the tea parties! It was so perfect! Weekly tea! Yes, my inner fan girl did flips here. I just loved seeing this.

The expressions Discord makes in this episode are awesome. The animators really made me happy. I think this absolutely show canonically that Discord truly connects with and cares for Flutters. He's expecting he's automatically who she's taking here and literally on pins and needles. I was a little disappointed that Fluttershy didn't really think about how devastated it would make Discord not inviting him since she has to realize how attached he is to her. Though maybe she intended this as an object lesson.

I was truly impressed with the way the writer's kept Discord's personality intact. He reacted spitefully, jealously and was extremely mean spirited about it. He's reformed but not 100 % good guy. First, he tries manipulation trying to make Fluttershy as jealous as he is. Naturally, it doesn't work on Fluttershy. She gives Discord the benefit of the doubt and patiently tries to get him to make friends with Tree Hugger. She's happy that he says he has an old friend.

Discord then falls back on the bad guy stick then and wants to get rid of the competition. This isn't a regression because he doesn't want to kill Tree Hugger and he acts like Fluttershy should be pleased he just wants to banish but not destroy the pony. This is perfectly in line with a reformed villian character like Discord. Especially one that is so unpredictable. He literally flips from one emotion to the next abruptly.

While, Fluttershy has the power to make him curb his actions we see he's still pretty flip about how he treats other ponies when she's not around. He didn't care in the least about the poor mail pony who seems to have met a dark fate. Seriously, how will he get out of being carried off by that creature? Its a kids show so he probably will but still letting the pony be carried off is pretty villainous if you ask me.

Fluttershy also reacts beautifully. She's stern and not cruel but no nonsense. Discord can be reasoned with and gets her point. Just like the chaotic being he is once he understands Fluttershy isn't getting rid of him he acts like nothing happened. Again spot on for a chaotic entity. I'm very impressed with this writer!

I also loved the imaginative way they showed where Discord lives! Yes on the pocket dimension of chaotic nightmare come to life visuals! The cleaning in reverse had me laughing out loud literally.

Maud nearly stole the show with her dead pan comedic lines. I love her even more now. She is officially my favorite secondary pony now. I have no laughed so hard at a show in a long time. My favorite moment had to be the diminsion Discord intended to send Tree Hugger to though.

This is now one of my top episodes. I'm not sure yet where to place it but even when the novelty wears off I know it will be somewhere in the top three.